The air in the room had softened after that century-spanning confession.
Faced with the alien Priestess who had finally lowered her guard, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, Steve offered neither grand declarations nor cheap comfort. He simply looked at her—his gaze carrying the quiet certainty of one who had long seen through the mists of fate.
"Listen carefully, Mary."
His voice was low, yet every word rang like a vow etched in stone.
"My script contains no tragedy. Whether it is your frozen original body, the soul that became a Servant, or you drifting here now—at the end of this story, every one of you will return to your complete, healthy form. You will all go home smiling, without a single person missing. That is the reason I was born into this world… and my only wish as the Savior."
The Priestess stared at him in a daze. There was no lie, no fear of the future in those dark eyes—only pure confidence. As though that perfect future was not a distant dream, but a script whose ending had already been written, merely waiting to be performed.
Much later, she sniffled softly. A faint yet incredibly pure smile appeared on her phantom face. She nodded.
No words were needed. Trust had passed between them.
"So…"
Steve pointed at the door with casual authority. "If your inner conflict is resolved, why not stay? Even if the physical matter isn't settled yet, you could live here permanently in Chaldea alongside Director U. That spiritual existence might be noisy, but if you watch over it as the soul, perhaps it will calm down a little?"
The Priestess shook her head.
"…No."
Thanks to the translation konjac, her thoughts came through clearly.
"The feeling of two Olga Maries existing in the same space at once is… far too strange. Like watching your own reflection suddenly come alive. It would cause confusion about who I am. Besides, right now I am only a projection. I cannot touch anything, cannot operate equipment, cannot even make sound without props. If I stayed, I would only trouble everyone and make that spiritual existence uncomfortable. I should return to my own place. I will continue watching over you from where you cannot see me—as an observer and a witness."
As she spoke, her figure gradually thinned, dissolving into particles of light.
"…Good night, Steve. And… thank you."
With those quiet words, the room fell silent once more. Only faint traces of magical energy lingered in the air, proof that a visitor from another star had truly been present.
Steve shrugged at the empty room.
"What a weirdo… but not in a bad way."
He put the wallet away and lay down on the bed.
"Time to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be rough."
…
The Next Morning – New Chaldea Conference Room
The Wandering Sea that day was destined to be recorded in Chaldea's annals.
When Steve pushed open the conference-room door while yawning, the sight inside could only be described as a gathering of stars or a council of gods.
Seated around the long table was a lineup so illustrious that anyone familiar with the truth behind the Incineration of Humanity would be left speechless.
On the left sat Chaldea's early members: Sion, half-asleep yet frantically calculating on her tablet; Goredolf, the new director, pouring tea for everyone with the air of the only sane person present; Holmes, smiling around his pipe; and the petite yet commanding Da Vinci-chan. At the far end, Fujimaru Ritsuka whispered nervously yet excitedly to Mash.
On the right sat the former enemies who had once driven Chaldea to the brink of despair—Group A, the Crypters.
Kirschteria Wodime, former captain of Group A, sipped black tea with elegant poise. Though still bandaged, his natural leadership placed him at the head of the right side. Beside him, Kadoc had slumped onto the table with a "I want to die" expression. Ophelia sat ramrod straight, occasionally glancing at Mash across the table. Peperoncino surveyed the room with a maternal smile. Even Consort Yu (Akuta Hinako), who despised humans most, had reluctantly taken a seat because Xiang Yu was enjoying the adjacent simulation room—though her face clearly said, "I'm done. I want to go home."
Most striking of all was U-Olga Marie, seated in the auxiliary chair beside the main seat. The woman who embodied former Director, Alien God, and Beast VII sat upright, attempting to project director-like dignity. Everyone knew she was actually a tsundere easily swayed by emotion, so the authority felt slightly forced.
"Ah, everyone's here."
Steve pulled out the front-row chair without hesitation and sat, casually accepting the special sandwich Goredolf offered.
"Since we're all assembled, let's begin. Two topics today. First, the speculation about the mastermind's identity that we didn't finish yesterday. Second, information exchange regarding the next destination—the Lostbelt in Britain, that is, Beryl's troublesome hideout."
"On the first point…" Holmes set down his pipe, eyes gleaming with deductive light. "Mr. Steve gave us more than enough hints yesterday without stating it outright. He arranged for Director Olga Marie to investigate Chaldea's main body at Area 51—proof he understands Chaldea's mechanisms intimately, and that Chaldea itself may be part of his plan. He can separate the Director's soul, mind, and body and utilize each independently—an understanding of spiritual techniques and Animusphere magecraft far beyond any outsider. Third…" Holmes glanced at the increasingly pale U-Olga Marie and softened his tone. "That so-called Alien God never possessed a true alien background. It was a system created for a specific purpose."
"In summary," Sion adjusted her glasses, "there is only one suspect: Marisbury Animusphere, founder and former director of Chaldea."
"Impossible!" U-Olga Marie shot to her feet and slammed both hands on the table. "Father… Father died long ago! He was killed in 2012! I saw the body with my own eyes… I didn't witness the process, but I saw the corpse…"
Her voice faded. She had noticed that no one else in the room—especially Wodime, the former director's disciple—showed the slightest surprise.
"…It seems you knew everything from the beginning, Kirschteria."
Olga Marie sank back into her chair, staring at the senior she had once trusted.
Wodime sighed and set down his teacup. "I didn't want to believe it either. But when I learned in Olympus that the vessel into which the alien god descended was you… I understood. Teacher—Lord Marisbury—was never truly dead. His death was part of the plan. He sacrificed his own daughter for the so-called protection of human order and the tragic wish of the Animusphere family."
A deathly silence fell over the room.
Although Steve had not spoken the words aloud, everyone present now knew the truth: the man who had orchestrated the Incineration of Humanity, the destruction of the Earth, and the Lostbelt War was none other than Chaldea's founder.
"Enough moping," Peperoncino clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Whoever that guy is, if he gets in our way we'll just beat him down. We've got plenty of problem children here—what's there to fear?"
"Correct." Steve swallowed the last bite of his sandwich. "We'll leave the behind-the-scenes matters for later. We'll settle things with him in Antarctica eventually. For now, let's discuss the problem right in front of us."
"Lostbelt No. 6—Avalon le Fae, the Fairy Kingdom of the Round Table."
He projected a map into the air, showing the British Isles shrouded in a barrier of light.
"This is the Lostbelt under Beryl Gut's jurisdiction."
At the name, both Kadoc and Ophelia visibly recoiled. Even within Group A, that murderer was deeply unpopular.
"That place… something's off about it," Peperoncino said, smile gone. "My relationship with Beryl isn't good, but he once bragged to me that there are no humans in that Lostbelt."
"No humans?" Ritsuka looked stunned.
"Correct. It is a kingdom of fairies."
Wodime added, "According to information I obtained earlier from the Fantasy Tree, while its imaginary depth is lower than my Olympus, its mystery and abnormality are at the highest level. That place does not follow the physical laws of human history."
"And…" Steve tapped the table lightly. "The king of that Lostbelt is Morgan—Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's sister and mistress of Britain. But this Morgan is different from any witch in human history. She has ruled this Lostbelt for two thousand years, creating a Fairy Kingdom inhabited only by fairies—an extremely cruel yet perfectly stable realm. Most importantly…" He glanced toward Mash in the corner. "When that perverted Beryl fled Olympus, he shouted that he was going back to retrieve his princess—and that he intended to capture Mash and make her his wife."
Crack.
The pen in Ritsuka's hand snapped cleanly in two. Even her usual calm could not withstand Beryl's cloying malice.
"Don't worry, Senpai." Mash took Ritsuka's hand, eyes filled with determination. "No matter what schemes Beryl devises, no matter how dangerous that fairy kingdom may be… we will overcome it. Just as we always have."
"Exactly." Steve rose and looked around the table at humanity's strongest Masters—and their comrades. "That Lostbelt is a cesspool of lies, betrayal, and malice… but together, there is no dungeon we cannot conquer."
"Everyone, prepare yourselves. Our next destination is the Fairy Kingdom of Britain. Let's give that murderer and that arrogant queen a proper shock from Chaldea!"
…
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